HRC Back Story

From Anthony Hayes, senior Camp Equality field director:

Answering a last-minute call for help from one of our fair-minded campaigns in Denver Colorado, HRC’s Camp Leaders Sam Roecker and Joe Peterson (both pictured, right) set up shop in a mail center for one of our fair-minded candidates.  The four volunteers worked a 4-hour shift on Friday, August 15th to help prepare this mass mailing to be sent out.

Camp Equality volunteers across the country are taking what they have learned and applying it immediately to insure that we elect fair-minded people across the country. The Denver camp leaders are working again today to help get another mass mailing out to the Denver people.  Volunteers are the lifeblood of every campaign across the country as is proof from our team in Denver, Colorado.

With 77 days remaining before everyone casts his or her vote on Nov 4th, our team in Colorado is setting the stage to make 2008 The Year To Win!

HRC brought our Camp Equality training program to Salt Lake City on Saturday (Aug. 16) where Sean Gagen of Grassroots Solutions, Utah Stonewall Democrats, the Utah AIDS Foundation and the Utah Pride Center helped over 40 people learn how to take leadership roles in GLBT involvement on local campaigns (Salt Lake City Tribune):

"I want to start a revolution," said Luana Chilelli of the Human Rights Campaign of Utah. "The purpose of this is to get Utah to have fair-minded representatives and have the voices of the citizens heard on any level and at every level."

....Keri Jones, of Equality Utah, which sponsored the Utah event along with the Utah Stonewall Democrats, the Utah AIDS Foundation and the Utah Pride Center, praised Salt Lake City for "being a sea of blue compared to an enormous state of red."

She said Salt Lake City residents have elected a fair-minded City Council, and voters in other cities, including Ogden, Provo and West Valley City, are asking questions about how to achieve similar results.

John Buck, an activist from Ogden, said he hoped things would change in his city.

"Salt Lake City has done some progressive things," he said. "That's not happening in Ogden. Salt Lake City is the bubble and we need to expand it or burst it."

Terry McGuire, regional field organizer for the Human Rights Campaign, said it was important for his group to come to Utah to train activists. He said the turnout for the Salt Lake City session was on par or even larger than some of the other states where Camp Equality has been held.

"We want them to be plugged in door-to-door and not just be volunteers, but leaders in the campaign," he said.

Katy Carlyle of Utah's Fox 13 covered the Salt Lake City Camp Equality and posted a great video report on the program here. The attendance cited in the story was true until Sunday. (Salt Lake city’s attendance was #2 until this weekend; on Saturday, Dallas smashed the HRC record for top Camp Equality attendance. Houston is now second, and Salt Lake City is third.)

They say everything is a little bigger in Texas and Anthony Hayes, our senior Camp Equality field director, said that 64 people turned out for the Dallas Camp Equality - one of the largest attendance numbers yet - and that everyone was very engaged.  Anthony says he was even able to identify three people for the leadership team. 

At Camp Equality, the participants are encouraged to try their hand at writing blog posts on their experiences at the training program. Here's a quick post from Alan, one of the Dallas Camp Equality participants:

HRC’s Camp Equality has brought together a diverse group remaining from the plains of west Texas to the skyscrapers of Dallas. We come from a wide range of background and experience but this training brings us together with valuable tools to go back home and make a difference.

It is exciting to realize that we as individuals can make a difference. Texas needs fair-minded leadership to take it into the next century, and with our state poised for change we are only five seats away from having a fair-minded majority in the Texas state legislature.

Texas is not the only place ready for change!! We are proof you don’t have to be an expert – it is critical for everyone to get involved in your own community.

If you want to join our grass roots efforts to bring change to the Dallas area and across Texas email our Camp Equality Leader today.  Camp Equality Leadership team will insure that you are plugged into fair-minded campaigns in your area. Email Camp Leader Pam Rogers at pamrogersartist@gmail.com

Good afternoon,

From half a world away, the Summer Olympics have brought into our homes vivid images of strength, endurance, teamwork, determination and focus.

Olympic metaphors abound this week, so forgive me for using one more. But when I see those athletes, who’ve trained for years for this moment, I can’t help but think of the epic struggle to elect fair-minded candidates and beat back discriminatory ballot measures that the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community is fighting right now.

I’ve written to you before about the Human Rights Campaign’s unprecedented election year nationwide effort to bring about the progress that the LGBT community needs and deserves. As you read this, our work continues at a breakneck pace: this weekend, fledgling activists in Dallas and Salt Lake City will learn cutting-edge campaign strategies at their city’s Camp Equality.  And here in Washington, twenty-five of the nation’s most promising leaders are finishing their intensive training in election tactics before being deployed to targeted races across the country as part of HRC’s Campaign College.

Now, I’d like to tell you about the next phase of our “Year to Win” campaign. Next week, HRC travels to Denver to participate in this year’s Democratic National Committee Convention. We’ll be holding a number of events that you all should know about.

On Monday, August 25th, HRC and our allies will host a reception honoring the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. The reception will provide an opportunity to celebrate the diversity of the pro-equality movement.

We’ll hold two events on Tuesday, August 26th. During the afternoon, HRC, along with the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund and key Capitol Hill allies Representatives Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Barney Frank (D-MA) will host a luncheon honoring the LGBT delegates at the DNCC. There are a record number of them this year—including HRC Business Council and Boston Steering Committee member Diego Sanchez, and HRC Board members Terry Bean, Terry Penrod, Lisa Zellner, and Karen Aranoff.

Later that night we’ll hold the long-awaited Rock to Win event, featuring Melissa Etheridge, Cyndi Lauper and Rufus Wainwright. There are still tickets available for this not-to-be-missed celebration of LGBT equality. Visit www.hrc.org/rocktowin for more details.

During the convention, HRC will be the only LGBT advocacy organization with a significant presence at “The Big Tent,” a temporary media center sponsored by Digg, Google and YouTube that will serve as the central communications hub for citizen journalists, bloggers and new media reporters. Chris Johnson, lead blogger at HRC Back Story will be moderating an HRC-sponsored panel at the Big Tent and will be live-blogging throughout the convention.

I’ll have even more information for you about HRC’s activities in Denver next week. But before I end for today, I want to congratulate Jared Polis on his big win in the primary for Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District this week. With his primary win in a heavily Democratic district, Polis is poised to become the third openly-LGBT member of Congress. It’s an amazing victory, not just for Polis himself, but for the LGBT community at large.

The eyes of the world will be on Denver in just 10 days, and HRC will be there to help represent the LGBT community and ensure our concerns are addressed. And like the athletes in Beijing, we’ve got our eyes on the prize.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Warmly,

Congratulations to gay rights advocates in Oregon who won a critical victory on Thursday when the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the state's domestic partnership law. From Basic Right's Oregon's blog:

In what is likely to be the final chapter of a court case that caused a brief but dramatic delay in the implementation of Oregon’s domestic partnership law, a federal appeals court today dismissed a lawsuit pursued by out-of-state groups seeking to revive a failed 2007 referendum on the law.

“This decision is a victory for commitment. It is a victory for love,” said Jeana Frazzini, executive director of Basic Rights Oregon. “Most Oregonians agree that committed couples should have the legal recognition they need to take care of each other. And now two courts have rejected our opponents’ demands for special treatment.”

The case stemmed from a failed 2007 referendum campaign against Oregon’s domestic partnership law. Last year, opponents of domestic partnerships were unable to collect enough valid signatures to put a measure overturning the law on the ballot. But out-of-state groups behind the effort filed suit in Federal court, complaining that Oregon elections officials should have changed the rules to reconsider previously rejected signatures.

“The judges clearly understood the issues at stake in this case when they rejected the plaintiffs’ demand for special treatment,” said Basic Rights Oregon attorney Margaret Olney, who assisted the State’s attorneys in the defense. “The out-of-state groups behind this lawsuit failed to meet the minimum standards of public support for their unpopular agenda last year. The Court is saying unequivocally: you can’t change the rules just because you don’t like the outcome.”

More than 2,000 couples have registered as domestic partners in Oregon since the law went into effect in February 2008.

"Maverick" THIS:  John McCain says he would consider a pro-choice person as a vice presidential running mate - but would rule out a "pro-gay rights" pick. (Think Progress)

Here's some good news from Tony Wagner, HRC's Western regional field director:

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On August 2, 2008 the Arizona Democratic Party held its summer state committee meeting.  Democrats all across Arizona escaped the summer heat and took to the mountains as they converged on Flagstaff for a full day of meetings.  What normally shapes up to be a pep rally as the election draws near also produced some substance of note for our community.

State Committeewoman Mohur Sidhwa and the newly formed LGBT Caucus presented a resolution during the general session of the state committee to oppose Prop 102 which will appear on November’s ballot.  Prop 102 is a proposed constitutional amendment to define marriage as between one man and one woman.  The state committee unanimously approved the resolution.

This action has special meaning for me as I am a product of the Democratic Party and the Arizona Democratic Party in particular.  The skills I put to use for the Human Rights Campaign striving for equality in our community were developed through my time there.

I want to thank my friends on the State Committee who I worked with for nearly two years for their support on this issue.  An equality minded Arizona is just around the corner!

Here is the text of the adopted resolution:

Amended RESOLUTION
(Opposing Ballot Referendum 102)
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT DEFINING MARRIAGE

Whereas: The pursuit for equality is an enduring value of the Arizona State Democratic Party, and

Whereas: The Arizona State Democratic Party supported a similar resolution two years ago, and

Whereas: The Arizona voters voted down a similar ballot initiative just two years ago, and

Whereas: The proponents of said ballot referendum are using this as a tool to raise money and turnout in a cynical manipulation of Arizona's electoral process.

Whereas: Facing a three-billion dollar budget deficit, the Republican leadership prioritized this issue, violated legislative ethics rules, and failed to adequately address vital issues such as education.

Therefore, Be it resolved: that the Arizona State Democratic Party opposes this ballot referendum which would, if passed, place discriminatory language in our State Constitution.

Be it further resolved: that the Arizona State Democratic Party requests all voters maintain the Arizona tradition of equality by voting against this ballot initiative.

John Lake, our handsome director of corporate relations, now splits his time between his home in San Francisco and our Washington, DC office.  We miss seeing him as frequently around the office - so it's an extra special treat when John writes a guest post for Back Story. Here's an update from California:

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From John Lake, HRC Director of Corporate Relations:

On Tuesday I was able to get two very different views of the same-sex marriage issue here in California. 

The first view was very personal. A few weeks ago, HRC was contacted by two of our long-time supporters, Gene Gandy and Dale Heizler (pictured right), who currently live in Atlanta.  They were planning on coming out to San Francisco to get married after 43 years together. Yes, 43 YEARS! They needed a witness and wanted to find someone from the HRC Family who would be willing to stand up with them. Of course, I was more than happy to have this honor and when I found out it would coincide with my time in San Francisco, I jumped at the chance.

Tuesday was the big day, and I met them at City Hall. These self-described “Southern Gentlemen” were amazing, and Gene told me stories about living in Alabama and being a part of the Civil Rights movement in the sixties.  These guys have seen and lived through a lot! I am not that young myself, but they have been in their relationship slightly longer than I have been alive. Remarkable.

There were several other couples getting married while we were there, the majority of which were gay or lesbian. Two women in their twenties were right before us, and it was inspiring to note the diversity: two giddy young women in jeans, followed by two mature men in dark suits – but both couples proclaiming the same intent to love, honor and protect each other.  During the service in the City Hall rotunda, I was able to snap some photos. I thank Gene and Dale for the honor of being a part of this joyous event and wish them another four decades of happiness together.

Later that night, I was able to attend an event that provided a much different view of the same-sex marriage issue: a panel that explored the ways California companies are handling matters related to their gay and lesbian employees who decide to tie the knot. On the outside, it seems like it would be easy for a company to treat same-sex married employees the same as opposite-sex married couples.  But because of the limitations that the Federal DOMA legislation creates, it becomes a very complicated issue.  To me this underscores the fact that no matter what happens on the state or local level, true equality will never be possible until lasting change is made federally. 

The event was put together by HRC Board of Governor member Tom Floyd and held at Intuit headquarters in Mountain View, just north of San Jose.  Panelists included Intuit’s Lynett Hamel, who provided insight on how her company has striven for equity in their treatment of same-sex married couples; HRC’s own Workplace Project Director, Daryl Herrschaft, who was able to provide a national perspective as well as lessons learned from Massachusetts; and Tita Gray from PG&E, who discussed her company’s brave public stance on the issue as well as their generous donation to the Equality for All Campaign. 

The group was rounded out by three attorneys from Bay Area firms who are all on the front lines of exploring and making sense of the uncharted legal territory now created by same-sex marriages: Kristen Jacoby, Deb Kinney, and Ron Triche. They untangled complicated topics such as benefits administration, implications for retirement and 401(k) plans, taxation issues, repercussions for out-of-state companies with employees based in California, and the one that generated the most dialogue: civil unions vs. marriage.  On that subject, it was fairly unanimous that couples should maintain their civil union status after getting married since it is more portable and recognized in more places around the country.

Following the panel, Ron Triche and Matthew Gouaux from the law firm Trucker Huss presented an in-depth breakout session which explored specifically the impact of same-sex marriage on employee benefit plans.  While much of the complex material was designed for HR professionals (and thus a little over my head), I did take away the critically important idea that same-sex couples – whether in a civil union, domestic partnership or married – must always have their t’s crossed and I’s dotted when it comes to beneficiaries of benefit plans.  Unfortunately, the law is not always on our side – so we must make sure our documents are in order and up to date.

Close to 150 people from all over the Bay Area attended the event, and it was covered by our local Fox network affiliate, KTVU.

It was a very balanced day – getting to experience the pure romantic joy of witnessing Gene and Dale’s nuptials, followed by a crash course on the practicalities being addressed by the California business community. Personally, these divergent perspectives served to only strengthen my resolve to do whatever I can to make sure we beat back the ballot initiative in November that could take it all away.

Chris Edelson, HRC's state legislative director,and Allyson Robinson, our associate director of diversity, joined local leaders at Washington, DC's Equal Rights Center today to determine ways to fight ongoing discrimination against the transgender community in the local area. Here's Chris's quick update on the meeting:

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Today, Allyson Robinson and I attended a strategy meeting at the Equal Rights Center, a few blocks away in Dupont Circle.  The Equal Rights Center works to combat discrimination in the Washington, DC area, especially regarding fair housing, employment, immigrant rights and disability practices. 

The Equal Rights Center gathered various organizations and activists, including Board of Governors member Dr. Dana Beyer, to discuss ideas for work related to preventing discrimination based on gender identity or expression.  It was a great opportunity to brainstorm with people from other groups about the issues transgender people face in the workplace and elsewhere. 

At the moment, on the local level, there is a lot of concern in the District if Columbia over an attempt to change existing D.C. regulations concerning gender identity or expression in a way that would actually undermine D.C. law prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity or expression.  A number of organizations, including HRC, as well as a number of concerned individuals, have submitted comments to the D.C. Office of Human Rights objecting to the proposed changes.  In addition on the local front, we are supporting Basic Rights Montgomery’s vital efforts to uphold protections in nearby Montgomery County against discrimination based on gender identity or expression.  There is an effort to repeal these protections, and voters in Montgomery County are likely to decide the matter at the polls this November.

WORRRK, HONEY: Isis, the 22-year old transgender woman who hails from neighboring Prince George's County, Maryland, will walk and pose and dip as a contender on Season 3 of Tyra Banks's America's Next Top Model.

Some may recall that America at large was first introduced to Isis last summer during a MSNBC documentary called "Born In the Wrong Body."  Isis was described as an aspiring fashion designer - and we actually got to see her strut in one of her own creations at one of New York City's "ballroom" functions.  (And, she turned it and snatched a trophy, PS!) For those in the know, Isis Tsunami has also been known to twirl and pose before adoring audiences in venues across the country - and her runway walk is quite legendary!

Regarding whether she considers herself a transgender role model due to her selection to compete on ANTM, which begins again on September 3, Isis recently told Us Weekly: "I like to help people, but I'm here to follow my dreams."

Needless to say, we're looking forward to seeing Isis on America's Next Top Model and wish her all the best!

In the words of DJ Fatha Julz: Don't stop selling it until you win!

On Friday, supporters of GLBT equality scored a noteworthy victory when the Los Angeles Times editorial board endorsed the campaign to stop Proposition 8, a constitutional amendment to strip gay and lesbian couples of their fundamental right to marry in California. Those of us who were out in the California to witness the first couples saying their marriage vows know that it's vital that voters understand the real implications of this bigoted proposal:

It's the same sentence as in 2000: "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California." Yet the issue that will be put before voters Nov. 4 is radically different. This time, the wording would be used to rescind an existing constitutional right to marry. We fervently hope that voters, whatever their personal or religious convictions, will shudder at such a step and vote no on Proposition 8.

The state of same-sex marriage shifted in May, when the California Supreme Court overturned Proposition 22, the ban on gay marriage that voters approved eight years ago, and ruled that marriage was a fundamental right under the state Constitution. As such, it could not be denied to a protected group -- in this case, gay and lesbian couples.

What voters must consider about Proposition 8 is that, unlike Proposition 22, this is no longer about refining existing California law. In the wake of the court's ruling, the only way to deny marriage to gay and lesbian couples is by revising constitutional rights themselves. Proposition 8 seeks to embed wording in the Constitution that would eliminate the fundamental right to same-sex marriage.

It's a rare and drastic step, invoking the constitutional-amendment process to strip people of rights. Yet in California, it can be done with a simple majority vote. All the more reason for voters to weigh carefully what would be wrought by this measure.

...the very act of denying gay and lesbian couples the right to marry -- traditionally the highest legal and societal recognition of a loving commitment -- by definition relegates them and their relationships to second-class status, separate and not all that equal.

CLICK HERE to donate to HRC's special fund – the HRC California Marriage PAC -- No On Proposition 8 – to direct 100% of your contribution today to the fight against the anti-marriage ballot initiative in California.

HRC's Salt Lake City Camp Equality, scheduled for this Saturday (Aug. 16), gets a major shoutout by Cathy McKitrick in the Salt Lake City Tribune:

The Human Rights Campaign is bringing its political clout to Utah, a state dominated by conservative candidates who tout traditional family values.
    HRC - the nation's largest gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) civil rights organization - aims to train 1,500 volunteers nationwide to work on key campaigns this fall as part of its massive "Year to Win" effort.
    The organization also targets ballot measures that limit the rights of the GLBT community, such as California's Proposition 8 to ban same-sex marriage. Barack Obama, endorsed by HRC, has come out against the measure, while The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints supports it.
    Salt Lake City is one of 18 cities selected to host Camp Equality training this summer - surprising since no federal candidates from the Beehive State have HRC's backing.
    "The people who participate will be able to go out and help progressive politicians, whether it be Barack Obama at the top or candidates further down the ticket," said Trevor Thomas, HRC's deputy communications director.
    In 2006, the group helped elect 211 candidates, ousting a number of anti-gay-rights politicians, including Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa. The National Journal ranked the organization as the second-most effective interest group that year.
    In selecting Utah's capital as a host training site, the organization also is gazing down the road, beyond November's election.
    "We're looking long-term, where we can continue to mobilize voters who support pro-equality state and federal legislation," Thomas said. That would include the repeal of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, establishing workplace protections and enacting hate-crime legislation.
    Sen. Scott McCoy, one of Utah's three openly gay state lawmakers, is pleased to see HRC's selection of Salt Lake City.
    "It shows that things are changing," the Salt Lake City Democrat said. "In the past, there might have been a tendency for some of these national organizations to write off a conservative red state. But we've demonstrated that we can make progress."
    Although Utah voters approved a ban on gay marriage in 2004, Salt Lake City adopted a mutual-commitment registry earlier this year.
    That progress is due partly to a willingness to get involved, McCoy said. "The GLBT community continues to understand the importance of electoral politics in the advancement of our cause."

On Thursday, HRC's Political Action Committee (PAC) sponsored an opportunity for Long Islanders to meet and hear from Joe Solmonese and many of their local political leaders. The event drew over 100 Long Island residents, many of whom are new to being engaged with HRC, and HRC major donors and steering committee members.  Senator Craig Johnson, Assemblyman Chuck Lavine, Nassau County Legislator Judy Jacobs, Dorothy Jacobs of the Nassau Gay Dems, and Juli Owens and Jeff Freedman of the Gay and Lesbian Democrats of Suffolk County were also in attendance.

Before the event, our regional field director Sultan Shakir spoke to one of the Honorary Hosts, New York State Senator Tom Duane, who was on his way to Albany for a special Senate Session.  Tom reiterated that we have a great shot of swinging the balance of power in the State Senate this year:  “The support of the GLBT community in this year’s elections is critical to electing a fair-minded majority. Our community has a lot at stake and winning is well within our reach.  I really want to thank everyone at HRC whose time, money, and energy, when invested in our key State Senate races, is going to make a huge impact and be a driving force towards victory in November.”

[Photo: Joe Solmonese talks with Assemblyman Chuck Lavine and his wife at the Long Island HRC PAC event.]

Good afternoon,

It’s hard to believe, but the Human Rights Campaign Twelfth Annual National Dinner is just two months away.

Earlier this week, HRC announced that personal finance expert Suze Orman will be presented with the National Equality Award. In addition to being a best-selling author and Emmy Award-winning talk show host, Suze is someone whose commonsense financial advice has been heard by people across the nation and the globe. That this advice comes from an open lesbian bridges the divide between LGBT and heterosexual communities and proves that we all share the same concerns about paying our bills, feeding and clothing our children, and buying homes.

This idea is particularly resonant in this election year. The night of the dinner, October 4th, is exactly one month from Election Day, and HRC will be working overtime to guarantee that the first Tuesday in November brings the change that our community has worked so hard to achieve.

By that time, HRC and our state and local partners will have trained hundreds of pro-equality activists to volunteer in some of this year’s most crucial races through our Camp Equality program. The success of these two-day trainings led us to increase the number of camps from the originally slated 13 to 18. The twenty-six promising young participants in the Campaign College program will be deployed to targeted races across the country, working full-time as members of the staffs of fair-minded candidates and campaigns to beat back discriminatory ballot measures. To keep up with the latest news on these programs, check out the HRC Back Story blog.

This is our Year to Win. There is so much our community stands to gain—relationship recognition, working to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and the passage of fully inclusive hate crimes and employment protections.

But this week brought another solemn example of just what we’re fighting for. Angie Zapata, an 18-year-old transgender woman, was brutally murdered in Greeley, Colorado in what prosecutors are calling a hate crime. Jose Andrade, charged with first-degree murder and a possibly sentence-extending bias crime, has attempted to justify his actions by invoking a “trans panic” defense. It’s nothing more than a scurrilous attempt to blame the victim for this heinous crime. The case is a reminder of the violence that threatens transgender people every day, and the urgent work we must do to put an end to it. Just this week, the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs reported on a rash of hate crimes that have plagued the nation since February.

One need look only to Angie, to Lawrence King, to former Marine Staff Sgt. Eric Alva, or to Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon to understand just how much is at stake in 2008. I hope you’ll join us, for Camp Equality or the National Dinner or on the campaign trail.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Warmly,

P.S. There’s another important election year event between today and the National Dinner. On August 26th, HRC will hold the Rock to Win event in Denver during the Democratic National Convention. Melissa Etheridge, Cyndi Lauper and Rufus Wainwright will perform. There’s still time to reserve your seat! Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.

HRC's next Camp Equality, our campaign training program launched this summer, will be held in Salt Lake City, Utah on Saturday, August 16.

Camp Equality builds on the Human Rights Campaign’s successful Campaign College, which brings 40 college students to Washington, D.C. every summer for intensive campaign training.  Camp Equality takes that model out to the country, training individuals in their own communities and providing them with information about opportunities to engage in competitive political campaigns.  By recruiting and training supporters of equality, HRC is bringing more people into the political process, training them to help fair-minded candidates achieve victory, and building support for equality across the country.

Those interested in participating in Camp Equality are encouraged to apply online: www.hrc.org/campequality 

WHAT: Camp Equality Training by Human Rights Campaign

WHO: Human Rights Campaign, Equality Utah, Utah Stonewall Democrats, the Utah Aids Foundation, and the Utah Pride Center

WHEN: Saturday, August 16 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

WHERE: Salt Lake County Government Center. 2001 South State St., Salt Lake City, UT 84190

NOTE FROM CHRIS: A lot of people are well aware that International Best Dressed List rapper/producer/blogger (and fellow Gemini) Kanye West can be rather, er, outspoken on his beliefs - especially when he feels slighted by "the industry." Well, according to my tally, Kanye deserves to be commended for the bold way he's stood up to the ingrained homophobia that's widely accepted in the hip-hop music machine - even though many of the stylists, choreographers, video directors, money people, and other professionals that work behind the scenes to bring the artists' music to life are LGBT.

This week, Kanye spoke out again on the need for his fans to "open their minds" and continue to shed their prejudices against LGBT people at the end of his August 5 "Glow in the the Dark" concert at NYC's Madison Square Garden.  Andy Towle has posted a YouTube video of his fearless comments, which start about 1:45 in the clip. YouTube may soon take the video down, so watch it now while you can:

Andy also typed up a rough transcript of Kanye literally using his platform and microphone to speak out against homophobia:

Open your f** minds. Open your minds. Be accepting of different people and let people be who they are. You know how many people came to me calling me gay cause I wear my jeans the fresh way? Or, because I said "hey, dude, how you gonna say 'fag' right in front of a gay dude's face and act like that's ok?" That s** is disrespectful. Coming from Chicago, where if you saw somebody that was gay you were supppoed to stay ten feet away. It should be time to break out of the intuitions that I was sayin', the steretypes, or the fear, the backlash that I would get if you don't believe in what I believe in, acceptin' people for who they are...they're very talented and if they do something special in the world and they're discriminated. I've flown across the world y'all, and I've come back here to tell you — open your minds and live a happier life..."

Now THAT's what we need more of. That's the kind of talk by a prominent pop culture figure that can help curb the type of anti-gay hatred and violence that's still aimed at LGBT people of all races.  Hat's off to Kanye for saying the right thing, in the right place, and definitely at the right time. 

Big hat tip to Andy Towle on this one.

HRC announced yesterday that best-selling author, Emmy Award-winning television host, and personal finance expert Suze Orman will be honored with the 2008 National Equality Award at the organization's Twelfth Annual National Dinner in Washington D.C. on October 4th.

Orman was named one of TIME Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2008. As a nationally-recognized figure, Suze is raising the profile of LGBT Americans and educating the world about the financial hardships LGBT families face because of inequities in our country's federal laws.

Suze Orman has written, co-produced, and hosted six PBS specials based on her New York Times bestselling books, and is the single most successful fundraiser in the history of public television. 

She has won dozens of awards, including two Daytime Emmy Awards in the category of Outstanding Service Show Host for her PBS specials. 

Orman is a contributing editor to "O" at Home as well as "O", The Oprah Magazine in the United States as well as the South African edition.  She has a syndicated column called Women & Money, writes a bi-weekly column, Money Matters, on Yahoo! Finance, and a bi-monthly column for the Costco Connection. Orman hosts the extremely popular and award-winning Suze Orman Show, which airs every Saturday night on CNBC and on XM & Sirius radio, and also hosts the Financial Freedom Hour on QVC television.

Joe Solmonese issued this statement on the choice to recognize Orman at this year's National Dinner:

Suze Orman is someone whose commonsense financial advice has been heard by people across the nation and the globe—both LGBT and straight.  That this advice comes from an open lesbian bridges the divide between LGBT and heterosexual communities and proves that, no matter our sexual orientation or gender identity, we all share the same concerns about paying our bills, feeding and clothing our children, and buying homes. HRC is pleased to recognize her achievements by presenting her with the 2008 National Equality Award.

The 2008 National Dinner will be held in the Grand Ballroom of Washington's Convention Center. More than 3,000 are expected to attend the event, which will be chaired by Janet Carter and Jackson Palmer. Along with Orman's award presentation, the dinner will also feature political speakers, a silent auction and entertainment.

WHAT: Human Rights Campaign Twelfth Annual National Dinner
WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 4, 2008, 7:00 p.m. (EST)
WHERE: Washington Convention Center, Grand Ballroom, 801 Mt. Vernon Place NW, Washington, D.C.

Ticket Info: Tickets for the event may be reserved online at www.boxofficetickets.com or www.hrcnationaldinner.org. To reserve tickets by phone, call Box Office Tickets at 800/494-8497.

Credentialing: Media pre-registration required. To receive credentials for the dinner, please contact Rachel Balick at rachel.balick@hrc.org.

NOTE FROM CHRIS: This great post on the economic benefits of gay marriage by our state legislative director Chris Edelson was originally crossposted on Anderson Cooper's AC360blog at CNN:

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Chris Edelson
State Legislative Director
Human Rights Campaign 

There were plenty of good reasons for Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick to sign legislation Thursday repealing a nearly 100 year old law that prevented many out-of-state gay and lesbian couples from marrying in the Bay State: a fundamental belief in equality for all couples and all families, rejection of discrimination, simple fairness. But there’s one, perhaps unexpected, factor entering the discussion: equality makes good economic sense.

Five years ago this November, Massachusetts became the first state to recognize marriage equality, the equal right for gay and lesbian couples to marry, under state law (the federal Defense of Marriage Act denies married gay and lesbian couples federal rights and benefits).

California recently joined Massachusetts in providing gay and lesbian couples the freedom to marry (although California voters will decide this November whether to turn back the clock and take away marriage equality for gay and lesbian couples).  But there was one important difference: California would let gay and lesbian couples from out of state marry, while Massachusetts, in most cases, would not.  This was (no) thanks to the so-called 1913 law, named for the year it was enacted, that prohibited out-of-state couples from marrying in Massachusetts if their marriage would not be legally recognized in their home state. The law, which was apparently enacted in order to prevent interracial couples from out of state from marrying in Massachusetts, had not been applied for decades, until it was revived in 2004 by then-Gov. Mitt Romney, an opponent of marriage equality.  Since nearly every state expressly prohibits marriage by gay or lesbian couples, most gay and lesbian couples who lived outside Massachusetts could not come to the Bay State to marry.

Legislators in Massachusetts, who are overwhelmingly supportive of equality, took notice of what was happening: out-of-state couples were heading to California to get married, and bringing their wedding guests with them.  The state commissioned a study by the UCLA School of Law’s Williams Institute, which predicted that repealing the 1913 law would bring over $100 million in revenue into Massachusetts.

This is a win-win situation.  The Massachusetts legislature and the governor already supported marriage equality.  Seeing that expanding equality to out-of-state residents would help the state’s economy made the decision to repeal the antiquated 1913 law a pretty easy one: repeal legislation sailed through the State Senate and House before the Governor signed it.

The big question of course, is which states are next?  Pam Spaulding notes that Nevada may be starting to see the light.  Of course, not every state realizes the economic upside of equality: South Carolina recently halted a gay-friendly tourist campaign marketing the state in London. When the state apparently wouldn’t pick up the tab for the ad campaign, the South Carolina Pride Movement, a pro-equality group, stepped in to pay the costs.

One more instance of equality and fiscal responsibility coming together.

A few weeks ago, Sen John McCain (R-AZ) made headlines when he told New York Times reporters Adam Nagourney and Michael Cooper that he doesn't believe in gay adoption.  Ellen Kahn, HRC's Family Project director, was swift to condemn his remarks, stating that his misguided "beliefs" were an "insult to the thousands of children being raised by lesbian and gay parents, and who are thriving and contributing positively to their communities."

On July 23, Jennifer Chrisler, Executive Director of the Family Equality Council in Boston, sent identical letters (.pdf) to both John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) asking them to "explain how their administrations would work to recognize, respect, protect and celebrate all loving families in the US." One week later, Sen. Obama reiterated his support for LGBT families in his response letter to Chrisler:

Dear Jennifer,

While we live in a nation that is enriched by a vast array of diverse traditions, cultures and histories, it is our commonality that most defines us. The desire to build a life with a loved one, to provide for a family and to have children who will grow and thrive — these are desires that all people share, regardless of race, sex, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity. My own experience has taught me this lesson well. I was born to a single mother, my devoted grandparents helped raise me, and then I married the woman of my dreams and had two beautiful daughters. The love that has blessed each of those households has been strong and sure, and I know that millions of families across this nation share the same blessings.

We know that the cost of the American dream must never come at the expense of the American family. For decades we’ve had politicians in Washington who talk about family values, but we haven’t had policies that value families. Instead, it’s harder for working parents to make a living while raising their kids. It’s even harder to get a break.

That’s why I’ll double spending on quality after-school programs - so that you can know your kids are safe and secure. And that’s why I’ll expand the Family Medical Leave Act to include more businesses and millions more workers; to let parents participate in school activities with their kids; and to cover elderly care. And we’ll finally put federal support behind state efforts to provide paid family and medical leave. We’ll require employers to provide seven paid sick days each year. We’ll enforce laws that prohibit caregiver discrimination. And we’ll encourage flexible work schedules to better balance work and parenting for mothers and fathers. That’s the change that working families need.

But we also have to do more to support and strengthen LGBT families. Because equality in relationship, family, and adoption rights is not some abstract principle; it’s about whether millions of LGBT Americans can finally live lives marked by dignity and freedom. That’s why we have to repeal laws like the Defense of Marriage Act. That’s why we have to eliminate discrimination against LGBT families. And that’s why we have to extend equal treatment in our family and adoption laws.

I’ll be a president that stands up for American families – all of them.

Sincerely,

Barack Obama

Read a copy of Sen. Obama's response letter here (.pdf).

So far, Chrisler has yet to receive a response from McCain.

Special thanks to Doug Mings for this update from Arizona:

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Camp Equality participants meet for happy hour on July 28th at Switch in Phoenix, AZ to meet local fair-minded candidates. Approximately 50 people attended the event and a number of new volunteers signed up to get plugged into the exciting work that Camp Equality participants are doing in the Phoenix area.  We had 9 fair-minded candidates attend as well as 4 representatives attend from campaigns.  Everyone enjoyed getting to meet the candidates that they will be volunteering for between now and Nov 4th.  It was inspiring to see so many people in the Phoenix area who are willing to give their time to ensure that we elect fair-minded candidates this fall. 

The work is just beginning and our happy hour on July 28th is just the beginning of our grassroots efforts. If you or anyone you know wants to stand up for change in Arizona with Camp Equality please email me right away at dougmings@gmail.com.  The time for action is NOW!!!  We will be hosting a phone banking for one of our candidates on Monday August 11th, email for details. Together we will make 2008 The Year to Win in Arizona!!!